Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105

For Immediate Release: June 15, 2004

Audio Clip


Senator Glenn Coffee

Senate GOP Elects New Leaders for 50th Legislature

Senator Glenn Coffee of Oklahoma City has been elected by Senate Republicans to head that caucus’s new leadership team for the 50th Legislature, which will be elected by voters this November and convenes in 2005.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to be elected by the Senate Republican Caucus to serve as Republican Floor Leader in the 50th Legislature. I look forward to working with our extremely talented leadership team to help move our pro-family, pro-jobs agenda through the Senate,” Coffee said.

Coffee was first elected to the Senate in 1998. From 2000-2002 Coffee served as the Republican Caucus Chairman, and served from 2002-2004 as an Assistant Republican Leader.

The Senate Republican leadership team includes a floor leader, two assistant leaders, two whips, and a caucus chairman. Senate Republicans unanimously elected its new leadership officers , who will assume their duties on November 15, 2004.

Scott Pruitt of Broken Arrow was re-elected to the position of Assistant Floor Leader. Pruitt was elected to the Senate in 1998, and has served on the leadership team since November 2000, first as Republican Whip and then as an Assistant Republican Leader.

Owen Laughlin of Woodward was also elected as an Assistant Floor Leader. Laughlin, who was elected to Senate in 1996, has served as Whip since November 2002.

The Senate GOP elected two Whips: Nancy Riley of Tulsa and Randy Brogdon of Owasso. Riley, a former public school teacher, was elected to the Senate in 2000. Brogdon, a small business owner and former Owasso mayor, was elected to the Senate in 2002.

Rounding out the Republican leadership team for the 50th Legislature is Jonathan Nichols of Norman. Nichols, a former prosecutor, was elected as the caucus chairman.

“The new Senate Republican leadership team is a well-rounded mix of rural, urban, and suburban legislators who each bring a different perspective and a different life experience to the table. I believe this will be a great leadership team,” Coffee stated.

SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP TEAM
50th Legislature / 2005 -2006

• Republican Leader: Glenn Coffee, OKC
• Assistant Republican Leader: Scott Pruitt, Broken Arrow
• Assistant Republican Leader: Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward
• Republican Whip: Randy Brogdon, Owasso
• Republican Whip: Nancy Riley, Tulsa
• Republican Caucus Chairman: Jonathan Nichols, Norman

For more information contact:
Senate Communications Office - (405) 521-5774